October 21, 2016 IN THIS EDITION: Monthly update from the GRAR Board of Directors. NAR is calling for all REALTORS Members to complete Code of Ethics training every 2 years (rather than every 4 years). Candidate Endorsements Potential Toys for Tots Scam Weekly Q&A Membership Activity Unlicensed Activity Monthly Market Report Crisis Fund in Need of Donations New Member Discount from NAR RPAC Major Investors
A weekly publication of the Grand Rapids Association of REALTORS (GRAR) 660 Kenmoor Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 | 616-940-8200 | www.grar.com Pamela VanLuven | Editor
Please take a moment to watch this month’s video update from President Dale Stuckey, President-Elect Adam Paarlberg, and the GRAR Board of Directors.
Topics include: GRAR to release safety training, strategies, and a preferred app before year end. Save the date for the Annual Awards Celebration. The National Association of REALTORS has amended its requirements regarding Code of Ethics training. What was once a quadrennial program is now a biennial program. This means that all GRAR members will be completing Code of Ethics training in 2017. Please watch for announcements re: online training, as well as classroom sessions led by Julie Rietberg and Pam VanLuven. GRAR will be moving forward with an agent rating system on the public side of the website. The Community Involvement Task Force is in need of additional volunteers for the Halloween Party at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. The number of MLS errors or violations being reported by members using the Report Violations Tool on the MLS seems to be increasing. We are now receiving 250-300 reports per month. Staff has been cataloging the violations reported to determine if some are more common than others. In the past 30 days, the number one error reported is an incorrect tax ID number. This is followed closely by listings not reported as pending or closed, listings entered intentionally in the wrong city or school district to hide days on market, inaccurate square footage, and incorrect selling agent or sale price. We’re in the process of attempting to determine what can be done to minimize these issues. The GRAR Government Affairs Committee conducted interviews with candidates running for political office to learn their positions on issues related to the free enterprise system and the right to own, use, and transfer private property. As a result of these interviews, GRAR is offering the endorsements referenced below. To learn more about the candidate, to offer campaign assistance, or to offer a location for signs, please click on the link provided to connect to the candidate’s website or Facebook page. NAME POSITION Steve Johnson Michigan State House | 72nd District Chris Afendoulis Michigan State House | 73rd District Rob VerHeulen Michigan State House | 74th District David LaGrand Michigan State House | 75th District Casey O’Neill Michigan State House | 76th District Tommy Brann Michigan State House | 77th District Thomas Albert Michigan State House | 86th District Julie Calley Michigan State House | 87th District Roger Victory Michigan State House | 88th District Please take these endorsements Lisa Lyons Kent County Clerk into consideration as you prepare Ken Yonker Kent County Drain Commissioner for election day - November 8. Diane Jones Kent County Commissioner | 4th District Mandy Bolter Kent County Commissioner | 5th District Harold Voorhees Kent County Commissioner | 8th District
Emily Brieve Kent County Commissioner | 10th District VISIT THE Jim Saalfield Kent County Commissioner | 11th District GRAR GOVERNMENT Harold Mast Kent County Commissioner | 12th District AFFAIRS WEBPAGE Jessica Ann Tyson Kent County Commissioner | 13th District Carol Hennessy Kent County Commissioner | 14th District Dan Koorndyk Kent County Commissioner | 18th District Shana Shroll Kent County Commissioner | 19th District Bryan Harrison Caledonia Township Supervisor
POTENTIAL SCAM Please use caution if you receive a call from a man soliciting donations for Toys for Tots. One of our REALTOR® Members received a call from a man who claimed to represent a local AM radio station that airs hip hop. He said that he is soliciting donations for Toys for Tots and is reaching out to the real estate community. He indicated that the names of those REALTORS® who donate will be shared live on air. He was very polished in his presentation, but when the REALTOR® expressed the least bit of reluctance, he became verbally abusive to the point that the REALTOR® hung up on him. Paid advertisement - Please click on image above. Q: My sellers do not want their sold price broadcast on the MLS. How do I report the sale without sharing that information? A: The MLS Rules & Regulations require disclosure of the true sale price. It is typically a matter of public record as well. The seller agreed that the information would not be confidential by virtue of Paragraph #22 of the Listing Agreement, which states: Sellers acknowledge and agree that the price, terms, and other details with respect to the (closed) sale of this property are not confidential, will be disclosed to REALTORS® who participate in the applicable Multiple Listing Service, and may otherwise be used and/or published by that Multiple Listing Service in the ordinary course of its business.
Q: There is a beautiful new listing that just popped up on the MLS. It isn’t my listing, but I would love to show it. Would it be ok if I shared that listing with my friends, family, and clients on my Facebook page? A: Section 6.2 of the MLS Rules & Regulations states that “...a specific listing shall not be advertised by any Participant other than the listing broker without the prior written or electronic consent of the listing broker, and must include the name of the listing broker in a font size at least as large as the largest type size used to display the listing.” If the listing broker gives you permission to share the listing, you will want to be certain to include the name of the listing broker in the post.
Q: I am part of a real estate team and I would like my sales to be recorded in my name and my team leader’s name. How would I accomplish that? A: On the listing side, you may co-list the properties with your team leader. On the selling side, Section 3.9 of the MLS Rules & Regulations states that the sale shall be reported in the name of the selling office and the names of no more than two selling agents (as referenced in the Agency Disclosure Paragraph of the Purchase Agreement). As long as you reference both names on the purchase agreement, the sale may be recorded in both names with the MLS. There is currently one free format text field in the West Michigan Regional Purchase Agreement for the name(s) of the selling agent(s). The first name noted will be considered the primary agent and the second name will be considered the alternate or co-agent.
Q: I have a new listing where the seller hasn’t lived in the house because it has been used as a rental. Is he still required to complete the Sellers Disclosure Statement? A: Yes. The Sellers Disclosure requirements apply to sales of not less than 1 or not more than 4 residential dwelling units (includes leases with options to purchase). Please click here to view a list of exemptions. Sellers who haven’t lived in the property must still complete each section of the form to the best of their knowledge, even though this may require them to check “unknown” in some of the areas. The Explanations section of the form may be utilized to explain that the sellers didn’t live in the property. Writing “has not lived here” in large letters across the form does not fulfill the legal requirement to complete the form.
Paid advertisement - Please click on image above. GRAR DATABASE TOTALS Questions re: AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2016 GRAR’s member records? 562 Brokers Cheryl Krause (616) 940-8218 2,121 Salespersons 104 Appraisers Search the Member Roster (REALTORS® and 44 Life Members Service Partners) online at 164 Affiliate Members http://www.grar.com/
Please click on the following links to view activity during the month of September:
New Members Opted Not to Renew Change in Company Affiliation
Effective immediately, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) is announcing its partnership with Attorney General Bill Schuette in stepping up enforcement against unlicensed real estate practitioners. For the past several months, Michigan Realtors® have led discussions with both departments about this important initiative to deal with the rise in unlicensed real estate activity.
This is an extraordinary opportunity to hold accountable those who unlawfully practice real estate. This new partnership aims to keep consumers safe, and will investigate and prosecute unlicensed individuals.
Below is the information where members and consumers may submit their complaints of unlicensed activity:
Consumer Complaint - Online Form Consumer Complaint - PDF Form Toll Free Consumer Hotline: 877-765-8388 Local Consumer Number: 517-373-1140
The number of new listings for the month of September was down slightly - less than 2% - compared to the same period last year, which may account for the reason that pending sales were proportionately down by about the same percentage. The number of available listings continues to be a challenge with inventory still at less than 2 months, although it did tick up slightly from 1.7 months to 1.9 months. We continue to watch the average home sale increase in value. Year-to-date, it is up 7.1% from $177,704 to $190,586 based on closed transactions through September. More than 50% of the sales last month were in the $100,000 to $200,000 price range, which is where we also see the greatest need for more inventory. Please click here to view the full report. Questions? Contact Julie Rietberg.
Paid advertisement - Please click on image above. The REALTORS® Community Crisis Response Fund issued a check in the amount of $1,800 to the Howard Family of Grand Rapids after they lost their rental home on Cora St. NW and all belongings to a fire on September 19. The family had been living in the home for three years, but did not have renters’ insurance. Fortunately, the fire occurred mid-morning on a weekday when the family was not home, so no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire is unknown. The family received a prepaid gift card from the American Red Cross to assist with temporary lodging in a hotel, but reached out to the Crisis Fund for help with first month’s rent and security deposit on a more permanent home. In addition to assisting the family financially, the members of the REALTORS Community Crisis Response Fund Task Force provided education on the importance of renters insurance going forward, and they vetted the newly identified home and landlord. The family was very thankful for this assistance from our REALTOR community during such an emotional time.
This is just one example of how your donations to the Crisis Fund are helping individuals right here in West Michigan. In order to keep up this great work, we are dependent upon the generosity of our members.
The Fund balance is dwindling and we are concerned that we may be forced to turn away worthy applicants if additional donations are not received. With that in mind, the members of the Task Force have launched a fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $3,000 between now and year end. We will publish an update each week to keep you apprised of our progress.
Good News: The donation process just became super easy and convenient... Donations may now be offered online at the Crisis Fund webpage!
GOAL: $3,000 BY DECEMBER 31, 2016 DONATE ONLINE
NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT FROM NAR
The National Association of REALTORS® has partnered with Intuit, the global leader in financial managements soft- ware products, to offer exclusive savings on Intuit’s signature products, such as QuickBooks Self Employed and TurboTax. Click here to learn how you can save on these products using your REALTOR® discount.
Paid advertisement - Please click on image above. We appreciate the recognition by these members of the importance of their investment in RPAC – from protecting private property rights, to fending off burdensome regulations on our industry, to working with our lawmakers to craft sound policy that benefits all of us. GRAR has a great team of members that have invested at recent events to support RPAC at the Major Investor Levels:
Golden R Investors (REALTOR® Members) Crystal R Investors (REALTOR® Members) Michael Metzner Tom & Tracie Rich Pat Vredevoogd Combs Michael Schmidt David & Rachael Veldkamp Crystal R Investor (Affiliate Member) Rory Byrne, Chicago Title Sterling R Investors (REALTOR® Members) Lola Audu Karla Huitsing Cathy Sherman Bittrick Michael Balsitis Jon Jackson Jodi Smith Michael Bass Tim Katerberg Sam Sterk Howie Boeve Kris Keegstra Dale Stuckey Mark & Kara Brace Tom Kuiper Gene Szpeinski Bruce Bylsma David & Mary Mapes Jessica Tucker Greg Carlson Josh May Steve Volkers Patricia Caston Dave Melvin Terry Westbrook Lisa Coe John Meyer Laurie Zokoe Karol Cooley Diana Meyer
Michael Courtright Ingrid Nelson Sterling R Investors Ashley Dietch Bob & Lisa Novosad (Affiliate Members) Jim Fase Ryan Ogle Midstate Title Agency Patrick Fase Beau Otis Josh Nawrot, Northern Mortgage Steve Fase Linda Otis Sun Title Agency, Tom Cronkright Gerald Feenstra Adam Paarlberg WCR, Western Michigan Chapter Steve & Shelley Frody Tom Paarlberg Michelle Gordon Walter Perschbacher Rick Grasman Julie Rietberg Ed Hansen Julie Rockwell Cathy Hoppough Mike Rundhaug Lucas Howard Bob Schautz
If you have questions about the RPAC Major Investor program or would like to join this growing list of Major Investors, please feel free to contact Terry Westbrook, 2016 Michigan REALTORS RPAC Chair, Doug Merriam, Michigan REALTORS West Michigan Director, or Julie Rietberg, GRAR CEO. We will be continual- ly publishing and thanking these leading RPAC advocates throughout the year. October 21 - 9:30 a.m. - MICHRIC Managers Meeting - Contact: Julie Rietberg October 24 - IREP Session #5 - Cross Cultural Communication - Contact: Sue Jenkins October 25 - 1:00 p.m. - RPR Webinar: What’s New? The Latest & Greatest From RPR October 25 - 1:30 p.m. - YPN Advisory Council - Contact: Brittany Sheets October 25 - 2:00 p.m. - ShowingTime Basics & Beyond Course - Contact: Kristy Lubbers October 26 - 12:00 noon - Annual Meeting of Brokers and Certified Appraisers - Contact: Julie Rietberg or Sue Jenkins October 26 - 1:00 p.m.— RPR Commercial Webinar: Engaging Clients w/Interactive Investment Analysis October 27 - EMERGE! - Building a Business Worth Having - Contact: Brittany Sheets (YPN Activity!) October 28 - Volunteer Opportunity - G.R. Home for Veterans: Halloween Party - Contact: Brittany Sheets October 31 - 1:30 p.m. - Candidate Review & Development Committee - Contact: Pam VanLuven November 1 - 12:30 p.m. - Review Board of the Professional Standards Committee - Contact: Sue Jenkins November 1 - 1:00 p.m. - GRARLA Leadership Panel Discussion - Contact: Pam VanLuven November 2 - 9:00 a.m. - BICE Chapter Advisory Group Meeting - Contact: Sue Jenkins November 2 - 1:00 p.m. - Professional Standards Appeal - Contact: Sue Jenkins November 3 - 2:00 p.m. - FlexMLS Training - Contact: Kristy Lubbers November 4-7 - NAR Annual Convention & Expo - Keynote Speaker: General Colin Powell November 9 - 6-Hour Continuing Education with Jack Miedema - Contact: Brittany Sheets November 10 - 9:00 a.m. - REALTORS Community Crisis Response Fund Task Force - Contact: Pam VanLuven November 10 - 2:00 p.m. - West Michigan Regional Forms Committee - Contact: Pam VanLuven November 10 - GRARLA Reunion & Happy Hour - Contact: Pam VanLuven November 11 - Volunteer Opportunity - G.R. Home for Veterans: Veterans Day Celebration - Contact: Brittany Sheets November 14 - 9:00 a.m. - International Committee - Contact: Sue Jenkins November 16 - 9:00 a.m. - GRAR Board of Directors Meeting - Contact: Sue Jenkins November 10 - 10:00 a.m. - Educational Programming Task Force - Contact: Brittany Sheets November 14 - 11:00 a.m. - IREP Session #6 - International Financing - Contact: Sue Jenkins November 17 - 8:15 a.m. - New Member Orientation - Contact: Cheryl Krause November 24-25 - GRAR Office Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday November 29 - 1:30 p.m. - YPN Advisory Council - Contact: Brittany Sheets November 30 - 9:30 a.m. - Grievance Review Panel - Contact: Pam VanLuven Other Important Dates: December 1 - 1:00 p.m. - New DR Orientation - Contact: Cheryl Krause December 2 - YPN Annual Ugly Sweater Holiday Party - Tentative Date - Details to follow. (YPN Activity!) December 9 - Annual Installation & Awards Celebration - Details to follow. December 21 - 6-Hour Continuing Education with Jack Miedema - Contact: Brittany Sheets
Paid advertisements - Please click on images above. The new Barry Ionia Clinton Eaton (BICE) Chapter of GRAR has hit the ground running and is an active network of real estate professionals! The members of the Chapter Advisory Group have already planned a social event, developed a quarterly newsletter, analyzed home sales by county, considered various local ordinances and legislative issues, and more. To learn more about this Chapter, please click here to read its inaugural newsletter.
QUESTIONS ABOUT CORE KNOWLEDGE BENEFIT CONTINUING EDUCATION? FOR NEW MEMBERS The CE Marketplace is your resource for If you are a new REALTOR® member of questions related to the number of hours GRAR, please keep in mind that you that you need each year in order to may take a real estate course of your renew your real estate license, what choice, provided by GRAR or another classes are approved for continuing sponsor, within 12 months of the date of education credit, the process for instruc- membership and receive reimbursement tors to have their courses approved, and for that course up to $100.00. Simply a tool for tracking the number of credits provide GRAR with the request form, you have accumulated each year. Visit your payment receipt, & certificate of the website or call 844.642.6633. completion, and we will cut a check!
The events listed below are not hosted by GRAR, but are shared for your information. If you are looking for continuing education credits, we would encourage you to make certain that the course you select is approved by the CE Marketplace (https://www.cemarketplace.net/):
October 22 - Rookie Renovators: Cabinet Installation Course w/Home Repair Services October 26 - 3rd Annual Ele’s Place Fall Reception October 26 - 21 Day Financial Challenge/Money Matters Class w/Home Repair Services October 27 - RPOA Presents: Garnishments & Collecting Judgments October 27 - YPN/WCR Mixer October 29 - Concealed Pistol License (CPL) Training - Contact Ron Tiller October 29 - Rookie Renovators: Plumbing Course w/Home Repair Services October 29, November 5, 12, 19 - Real Estate Pre-Licensing Training with Real Estate One Academy November 1 - Fair Housing Rights Training for Senior Advocates in Kent County November 3 - HBA Awards Celebration November 7-11 - Real Estate Pre-Licensing Training with Real Estate One Academy November 9-20 - Cocktail Week GR / Sip Local November 10 - Seller Financing and TILA/RESPA Integrated Mortgage Disclosure Rule (Con. Ed. - 2 Courses, 1 Day) - - Proceeds benefit the REALTORS® Community Crisis Response Fund! November 14-18 - Real Estate Pre-Licensing with MiLicense.net November 17-December 7 - Property Management Assoc. of West Michigan Presents: National Apartment Leasing Professional Designation (NALP) December 5-9 - Real Estate Pre-Licensing with MiLicense.net December 7 - WCR Holiday Party - “Who-liday in Who-ville” January 9-12 & 16-17 – Real Estate Pre-Licensing Training with MiLicense.net January 23-27 – Real Estate Pre-Licensing Training with MiLicense.net February 20-24 – Real Estate Pre-Licensing Training with MiLicense.net February 23-25, 2017 - RPOA Presents: Michigan’s Largest FREE Real Estate Investor/Landlord Conference/Expo March 6-9 & 13-16 - Real Estate Pre-Licensing Training with MiLicense.net If you would like to post an event above, please forward the event name, date, time, and registration link to Pam VanLuven.